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A study conducted by UAF researchers at Big Koniuji Island in the Shumagin Islands offers evidence that in one breed of northern seabird, the size of males' feather crests may be more than simple ornamentation.

The study, published in the Journal of Comparative Physiology B, shows that crest size may be a physical indicator of a male crested auklet's quality as a mate.

Scientists have long noted that female auklets prefer males with larger crests. But until recently, they did not know why. Low levels of stress hormones in males with larger crests indicate that they cope better with the stresses of reproduction, such as finding food, competing with thousands of other birds for mates and nest sites, and helping rear chicks.

"Females will divorce shorter-crested mates for the opportunity to mate with longer-crested males. Our study suggests that longer-crested males could contribute more to reproductive success because they have greater capacity to meet the social and physiological costs," said Hector Douglas, assistant professor of biology at the Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel.

Douglas and collaborator Alexander Kitaysky, an associate professor at the UAF Institute of Arctic Biology, say their results fit into a larger hypothesis about animal societies.

"There appears to be a social hierarchy at the colony which is correlated with the size of the male ornament and this, in turn, is related to the levels of stress hormones," Douglas said. "The cost of attaining and maintaining dominant status is reflected in the animals' physiology and this has a distinct pattern in the society."

Arctic Science Journeys Radio: Crested Auklets

UAF Newsroom: Researcher finds amorous avian anointment protects mates

Distance diminishes when instructors and internship supervisors use technology to bring them closer to UAF students and interns in rural Alaska. For example, education interns in rural communities can use a video camera so faculty can watch them in the classroom from anywhere in the world via the Internet. Faculty supervise interns as they teach; because they have control over the classroom video camera, they can zoom in on what interns have written on the blackboard, follow them around the room and gauge the reactions of the interns' young charges. Later, supervisors and interns can meet via videoconference to discuss the day's work. These capabilities can be used anywhere there is Internet access but one of the greatest benefits will be to expand teacher training in rural Alaska, a challenge in a vast state where many villages can't be reached by road.

The National Science Foundation will use American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funds for construction of the Alaska Region Research Vessel, a 242-foot, ice-capable ship, to support scientific research in high-latitude waters. The vessel will be owned by NSF and operated by UAF's School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences on behalf of the entire ocean sciences community, through the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System. As the first vessel in the U.S. academic research fleet capable of breaking ice up to 2.5 feet thick, the new ship will open up the ice-choked waters of the Alaska region to scientists from all over the world. The Alaska Region Research Vessel was developed as a replacement for the R/V Alpha Helix, a 133-foot research vessel that was built in 1966 and retired and sold in 2007. The new vessel should be ready for use in 2014.

University of Alaska President Mark Hamilton announced in May that Brian Rogers will serve as permanent chancellor at UAF. Rogers was appointed interim chancellor in April 2008.

"I cannot justify an expensive, lengthy national search involving multiple candidates that would, I'm convinced, lead me to the person I have on the job right now," Hamilton said.

Hamilton said he made the decision after consulting with the UA Board of Regents and meeting with students, community members, elected officials, business leaders, staff and faculty members, and alumni.
A month later, Hamilton announced that he himself would retire from his position leading the 16-campus system. He has been president since August 1998. A specific departure date isn't set yet.

"Quite simply, I want to spend more time with my family," said Hamilton. "And I want to spend more time in this Alaska that I love so much. Maybe I'll get in some extra fishing time or an extended moose hunt."

University of Alaska Org Charts: President - Mark Hamilton

University of Alaska Office of the President

UAF Newsroom: Hamilton names Rogers to permanent post

UAF Chancellor's Office

Read about UAF's new supercomputer, Pingo, in Challenges online at www.arsc.edu/challenges/2009/.

Webcast of Pingo reception

Challenges: Pinging Pingo

UAF Newsroom: New supercomputer dedicated for open scientific research

Professor emeritus Michael Krauss was named a Linguistics Society of America Fellow for his distinguished contributions to the field. Krauss, funded by a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation, is leading a team of veteran linguists who are documenting endangered languages in and near Alaska.

The UAF mechanical engineering team took second place in the zero emissions class of the 2009 Society of Automobile Engineers Clean Snowmobile Challenge for their battery-powered snowmachine. The five-member team also won the Hawke Safety and the Rookie of the Challenge awards.

Videos: YouTube playlist: ME electric snowmachine videos

Alaska Science Forum: Students Build a Quiet Snowmachine

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: Fairbanks engineering students build award-winning electric snowmachine

The University of Alaska Press published its first book of poetry, The Rising and the Rain, by Alaska writer laureate John Straley, '08. Straley, known for his Alaska mystery novels, is a criminal defense investigator for the Alaska Public Defender Agency in Sitka.

Follow business administration professor Wayne Marr on Twitter @WayneMarr, noted as one of the top 12 financial pundits to tweet by The Wall Street Journal’s SmartMoney.com.

Twitter: @WayneMarr

David B. Offer is the C.W. Snedden Chair in Journalism for 2009 - 2010. He is teaching Journalism in Perspective during the fall semester and will teach a special topics course in news literacy in the spring. After retiring as executive editor of the Kennebec Journal and the Morning Sentinel in Maine, he continues to write weekly columns in both newspapers. Offer was the national chairman of the Society for Professional Journalists' ethics committee, and in 2001 he received a Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism from the University of Oregon in recognition of his resignation from Stars and Stripes in response to censorship at the newspaper.

Offer drove a long way to live in Fairbanks for a year. Before his 4,700-mile journey to Fairbanks, he wrote, "Why do my wife and I want to come to Alaska? I joke with friends that we want to come because Maine winters are not cold enough or long enough." He'll soon find out if that's true.

Offer column: Labor Day in Denali animal-filled, breathtakingly beautiful, warm

Offer column: Wanted: Future journalism students; must read, write, blog

Offer column: 'People from Outside' soon learn few Alaska sites accessible by road

School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences research assistant Tara Fritzinger studies crab sperm and eggs in a lab at the Lena Point Fisheries Building, north of Juneau. The new building was dedicated in April after construction was completed in October 2008.

Elnguq, the story of an Eskimo girl's childhood in the Alaska wilderness, is the only full-length work of creative writing in the Yup'ik language. First published in 1990 by the Alaska Native Language Center at UAF, it was translated into English in 2008 by the author, Anna Jacobson, and her husband, Stephen.

"Elngum Ellangellra"

Maaten-gguq ellanguq mat'umun nunakegtaarmun tanqircetqapiarluni camek-llu-gguq cali nalluami yuucini-llu nalluamiu murilkessiyaagpek'nani. Una-gguz-wa ca caniani aqumgauralria irriurluku ellii.

This beginning to Elnguq roughly translates as:

"Elnguq Becomes Aware"

It was at that time, it is said, that she became aware of the bright beautiful world. Because she didn't know anything yet and didn't even know that she was a human being, she did not observe very much. But, there was a certain something that was sitting beside her, watching her.

In 1973, two tons of freight fell on Fairbanks post office employee Esther Louise Largen. The accident resulted in long-term disabilities that necessitated the frequent aid of health care workers. Those health care workers were Largen’s inspiration -- when she died recently she left $385,000 for a nursing scholarship for Fairbanks nursing and nurse aide students at the Tanana Valley Campus.

Support this and other scholarships.

Tanana Valley Campus Allied Health program

A barley variety developed by researchers at UAF could provide a high-nutrient, high-yield crop for Alaska farmers this fall.

Sunshine barley, released by UAF's Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station in time for spring planting, is hull-less barley, meaning it requires little or no processing to remove the hull, which is attached so loosely to the seed that it easily falls off during harvesting.

This early-maturing, non-waxy barley is specifically adapted to northern environments. Sunshine barley yields nearly 2,500 pounds per acre.

Following the field trials, the UAF Cooperative Extension Service did kitchen tests on 12 barley varieties. A CES nutrition expert determined that Sunshine is a marketable product, easy to mill, has a nutty flavor and an abundance of nutrients.

"We want to show growers the possibilities of Sunshine barley," said research assistant Bob Van Veldhuizen, who has worked many years on the project. "In Alaska, you almost have to create the product yourself as we don’t have industries to do it."

He foresees some demand for the grain from health food enthusiasts. Barley flour is low in gluten, a plus for people with certain allergies.

SNRAS Science & News: Sunshine barley ready to grow

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: UAF creates new variety of barley for cold climates

Dallas Ferguson, the 2008 - 2009 CCHA Coach of the Year, isn't resting on his laurels. "The CCHA is a very competitive conference from top to bottom and to be successful you need to put together great performances every weekend. Our program is excited for the challenges ahead of us and to build off of where we finished last season." The team will be without its star goaltender: Chad Johnson, 2009 CCHA Player of the Year and finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, graduated in May. The Nanooks finished fourth in the CCHA, their best postseason finish since 2005.

(away games in italics)

Find other Nanook sport schedules and news.

Johnson, Hyatt named All-Americans

Ferguson Named Finalist for National Coach of the Year

Dave Thompson, '96, replaced Darryl Smith as the Alaska Nanooks' women's basketball coach in June. Assistant coach Christian Hood remains with the team. Thompson was head basketball coach at Hutchison High School in Fairbanks for five years prior to his new post. He took the boys team from a 0-22 record in their inaugural season to a 24-5 record and the 2009 Alaska 3A State Boys Basketball Championship, Fairbanks' first state basketball title since 1997.

Nanooks announce hiring of interim women's basketball coach

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